Aladin dole



(No Model.)

-A. DOLE.

BEGKET GLA-MP FOR STEERING WHEELS. No. 311,110. Patented Jan. 20,1885

WITNESSES I VENTOR 6 BY S Y ATTORNEYS.

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UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

ALADIN DOLE, OF PENNS GROVE, NEW JERSEY.

BECKET-CLAMP FOR STEERING-WHEELS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,110, dated January 20, 1885.

Application filed July 21, 1884. (No model To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALADIN DOLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Penns Grove, in the county of Salem and State'of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Becket-0lamps for Steering-Wheels, of which the following is a description.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the steering-gear of avessel. Fig. 2 isavertical section through the liner 90, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a side view of the devices shown in Fig. 2.

The object of my invention is to provide a secure and easily-operated means for holding the steering-wheel of a vessel to any desired adjustment when it is desired to release the hold on the wheel for any purpose, and also to provide means for stopping the sudden whirling of the wheel,when it gets away from the steersman, without dangerof mutilating or injuring his hands.

To this end it consists in combining with the wheel-shaft an encompassing clamp, which is made in two parts hinged together, and one of which is made adjustable to or from the other by a crank-screw,which,when turned in one direction, causes the clamp to bind the shaft, acting first as a brake, and then as a firm lock to prevent its rotation, the said clamp being supported upon a standard having suitable connection with some relatively immovable part of the boat, as hereinafter fully described. I

. In the drawings, A represents the deck of the vessel. B is the rudder-head, and G is the rigidly-attached tiller. This tiller is attached by the cords a a to a drum or windlass, D, on the wheel-shaft E, the cords being wound on said windlass in opposite directions and roving through an eye, b and Z), on each' side of the tiller, and passing thence to the tiller, and thence to an eye, a c, or permanent fastening on the deck, so that when the wheelshaft E turns in one direction it pulls the tiller one way, and when it turns in the other direction it pulls the tiller the other way. At

the front end of the wheel-shaft is fixed the hand-wheel F, and just back of the wheel the shaft is journaled in a bearing in the top of a post or other support, G. To this post, or upon any other stationary support, is attached a standard, H, hearing at the top the clamp I I, of which the portion I is rigidly 1 attached to the standard H,while the portion I extends over the top of the wheel-shaft, and is on one side hinged to the lower section, I, and on the other side is connected to the lower section by a screw-bolt, d, tapped through the 'ends of I and I, which screw-bolt is provided with a crank or handle for turning the same. By turning this crank-handle the two sections of the clamp are brought together upon the wheel-shaft, and are made to act as a brake to stop the spinning of the wheel, or as a positive lock to hold the wheel firm and immovable when the wheelsman desires to leave it for a time.

I am aware of the fact that it is not broadly new to provide clamps and other locking devices for holding the steering-wheel and rudder to a given position-such, for instance, as shown in patent to Smith, April 7, 1857, and Green, March 15, 1870. My invention differs from the construction shown by Green in that his clamp moves with. and is carried by the rudder, while mine occupies a relatively stationary position to the deck, and hence is not liable to get away from the steersman when the rudder is struck by heavy seas. It also differs from the construction shown by Green in that in the latter the wheel-shaft and its bearings are liable to be lifted up by heavy seas out of the sockets in the standard, which would allow the shaft and rudder to whip about and endanger the lives of the men at the wheel, In my invention the clamp is applicable to the form of steering-gear already in use, without alteration of or injury to the same, occupies the same position always-i. .e., does not whip about-and is not liable to become detached.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is.

The combination, with a wheel-shaft, stationary bearings containing the same, and a steering gear connecting with the rudder, tiller, and the wheel-shaft, of a clamp, I I, surrounding the said shaft and provided with screw 01, and the standard H, supporting said clamp at its upper end, and provided at its lower end with an attachment secured to a stationary part of the vessel, substantially as described.

ALADIN DOLE.

Witnesses:

EDWD. W. BYRN, CHAS. A. PETTIT.

IOC 

